Gari Baki

Baki says this issue has blown out of proportion and it needs to be addressed before another state of emergency, or call out, is required.

He said collective effort is needed at this point. It is not an issue concerning security or police anymore, and unless there is a matter of law and order, police can only do so much.

Baki said security can be provided. Personnel have already been deployed however, the police hierarchy cannot afford to constantly deploy a large number of personnel every time issues of this nature arise.

Police Commissioner Gari Baki made this comment following the death of Post-Courier’s senior journalist, Rosalyn Albaniel Evara, allegedly from injuries sustained from domestic violence.

“Family, friends and colleagues and even strangers cannot turn a blind eye to domestic violence any longer. They have a duty to intervene and take action,” he says.

“Every member of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary is also duty bound to take action. Domestic violence is no longer a ‘family issue’. It is a criminal act and perpetrators can and must be prosecuted.

Commissioner Baki in a statement said he had issued the transfer directives for operational expediency in light of current internal command and control issues and issues arising from the 2017 National General Elections.

Commissioner Baki said his transfer directives are final and he will not accept any refusal from any of the senior officers affected.

“They will take their posts as directed and with immediate effect,” Commissioner Baki said, adding that all movements are supposed to be completed by 31st October this year.

A disappointed commissioner for police, Gari Baki said all those election issues that have turned to become law and order issues, are results of inconsistency in some of the decisions that were made by the Electoral Commission.

This is by the electoral officials on ground.

“As a result of that, they tend to become law and order problems, and police have to deal with them.”

He said a classical example is the counting of the Southern Highlands boxes being delayed overtime.

Police Commissioner, Gari Baki, says because it is a joint operation, they are finalising logistics and should have the security personals travel either by Friday or Saturday into Mt Hagen and onto Mendi.

He has confirmed that they are looking at stationing 400 to 500 security personals in Southern Highlands Province.

An investigation team will be on ground as well to investigate how the fighting and destruction took place.

This follows the killing of two police officers during the weekend in what was believed to be an election-related incident.

The reinforcements will also assist in the detection and arrest of the murder suspects.

A team of police investigators, including police forensic officers, are currently in Wabag. They are investigating the July killing of policemen. After that they will travel to Southern Highlands to reconstruct the crime scene.

Commissioner for Police, Gari Baki, confirmed this when speaking to media yesterday.